Drabble Therapy
by teen freak
Summary: Collection of drabbles. Zutara, everything from fluffy, to angsty, to making fun of Zuko for the hell of it!TF
1. For Mai

I walked behind her; confused, angry, and frustrated.

Why would _she_, of all people want to talk to me? Wasn't she supposed to be some sort of royalty princess type-person-thing?

"Mai, would you please let go of my hand?"

She did, viciously pulling me to stand in front of her.  
"What did you do?" she growled.

"What are you talking about?" I asked, sorely rubbing my wrist.  
She shook her head and pointed a long, manicured nail at me.  
"Whatever you do, witch, _stay away from Zuko._"  
And she was off, silk billowing in her wake.

Wait.

_Did she think…?_

My hysterical laughs were the only thing heard in the hallway.


	2. Just Wondering

"Are you gay?"  
Zuko gagged.  
"_What?!_"  
I shrugged, "I dunno… I guess you seem too…_ delicate_… for a straight guy."  
He stood up in rage.  
"Listen, _wench_. I could _kill _you with a hand tied behind my back!"

I ignored him, "And I mean, Iroh's _never_ mentioned a girlfriend. I just assumed, being a prince and all, you'd have _someone_…"  
"I am NOT gay!"  
I nodded dismissively, "And I've never seen a guy take as much care of his _hair_ as you do…"  
"Ever heard of hygiene?"  
"Oh, please… A ponytail?"

He growled.  
"IT'S A TOPKNOT!!"  
"Right. Then I guess it's just coincidence you carry around moisturizing, apple-scented shampoo and conditioner."

…

"I. AM. NOT. GAY."  
I shrugged again, "Okay."  
He sighed, "Finally."

…

"Are you bi?"   
"ARGH!!!" 


	3. For Toph

They were at it again.  
Sugar Queen and Scarface, yelling out obscenities (not that she minded) in front of the entire campground.

"You lazy prince!"  
"Incompetent peasant!"  
"Jerk!"  
"Witch!"  
_Grrr…_  
"I knew you were gay!"  
"Huh?"  
"…Arrogant bastard!!"  
"Know-it-all bitch!!"  
"Sexist pig!!"  
"Irrational--"

"Agh!"  
They turned to face her.  
"Just go make out already!!"


	4. All Ears

"What are you doing?"  
I smile, "Writing to my mother…"  
He frowned, his eyes soft, "I thought she was…"  
My smile waned, "She is; it helps me more than it does her, I guess…"

He sat down next to me.  
"You do this often?"  
"Whenever I get the chance."  
"Oh."

I continue writing, surprisingly oblivious to his prying eyes. He's been there.  
He knows.

"Why?"  
I stop, "Pardon?"  
"Why confide in your mother when you have the Avatar and your brother to listen?"  
I smile weakly. If only it were that easy.  
"To them, I _am_ a mother… and mothers don't burden their children with personal problems."  
The brush is in my hands again, but he plucks it away. I glance at him questioningly, and he shrugs.

"I'm all ears."

_Sorry Mom… maybe some other night…_


	5. Just Desserts

"What happened here?"  
I wipe some batter from my face.  
"I was baking a cake for Toph…"  
Golden eyes glare at me.

"So you blew up the kitchen?"  
I growled, dabbing at the counter with a wet cloth, "Minor technical difficulties…"  
A deep laugh escapes him as he approaches me.

"I'm guessing no cake then?" he chuckles.  
Slightly disturbed by the fact that he was laughing in public, I hmph'd and kept cleaning.  
"That's fine…" he murmured…

Why did he sound so close?

His arms wound around me to grab the edge of the counter, pinning me there.  
"What're you--"  
His mouth pressed against the base of my neck firmly, kneading and caressing the skin there. I closed my eyes and stifled a moan as his tongue touched my flesh, deftly removing the cake mix. He growled against my neck as his hands roamed my shoulders.

And just as suddenly, he pulled away.  
"I like the batter better anyway," he drawled in my ear.


	6. Numbing the Pain

"You have everything?"  
He nodded.  
"The pie?"  
"Check."  
"Seal jerky?"  
"Check."  
"Sea prunes? Stew? Ming noodles?"  
"Check, check, check."  
"Good," I glanced at the door, "He should be here any second now." Said door opened to reveal a suspicious looking Sokka.

"Sokka! Come on in, have some food, old buddy, old pal!"  
I groaned inwardly…_ I said nice, Zuko… Not psycho…_  
"Wuz goin' on?" Sokka asked through the peach pie. I sighed.  
"Well, Sokka, I have some good news," he shoved in a mouthful of prunes; it was now or never,

"I'm pregnant."

Next thing I know, my fiancé is giving my unconscious brother the Heimlich maneuver. He fell on his knees, gasping for breath and clawing at Zuko's face.  
The latter turned to me.  
"He took that rather well."

I nodded.


	7. For Iroh

Iroh watched the couple with interest.  
One minute they're screaming their guts out at each other, the next, his nephew lets the waterbender do all the yelling.

"I mean you _never_ help with _anything_, and--"  
"You're right," he says.  
"…I am?"  
He nods, "I'll cook dinner tonight."  
Iroh grins at the girl's expression.  
"Fish sound good?" Zuko asks softly.  
Katara nods slowly, too confused to notice the prince headed for the lake with a chaste kiss on her cheek. She blushes and lifts her hand to her face, practically running when she realizes Iroh had seen the whole thing.

His grin widens. _Atta boy…_


	8. For Ursa

He couldn't believe it.  
He knew his father had disliked, hated even, his mother's garden, but he never thought he'd destroy it. He walked around in circles aimlessly, his heart breaking at the fact that the ashes beneath his feet had once been rosebushes and hydrangeas. It had been his mother's sanctuary and now, like her, it lay dead.

Tears fell down his face as his knees hit the floor, and he gripped the ground furiously.  
"Zuko…" she kneeled beside him, eyes watering with tears she was willing to share. She lifted his chin and dropped a handful of seeds onto his upturned palm.

"Give it life," she whispered, placing a soft kiss on his lips, "And, someday, it'll give it back…"


	9. Care to Explain?

Zuko glared at the waiter as he shuffled away.  
"Now, now, Zuko, there was no reason to be so rude," I said between giggles.  
"The idiot kept glancing down your shirt…" he growled, "That's reason enough for me."  
"Of course it is," I said as I sipped my tea.

He grasped my hand with a soft smile and kissed it. I smiled back as the waiter returned with our pastries, placing them on the table and leaving almost instantly. I shook my head and pulled on his hand, and he dragged his chair closer to mine. His small smile widened as he leaned in, briefly and sweetly touching his lips to mine.

I bit my lip in a sly smile and kissed him again, completely forgetting about the overly-iced cupcakes. His free hand moved to cup my cheek while I intertwined our fingers together; his tongue outlined my mouth when—

"Ahem."

We separated reluctantly, looking up to see a flustered girl fuming before us. Her hair was styled in a messy bun, with spikes flying _everywhere_. She was glaring at me furiously, her lips pursed in an almost primitive snarl. (Hey, I'd snarl right back if my lips weren't so swollen…)

"Um, can I help you?" I asked, raising an eyebrow as Zuko shrunk in his seat.  
She growled lowly, "Yes, you can. You can get off him _now!_"  
"Excuse me?" I said incredulously, my hand subtly tightening on his. She noticed, however, and walked around to yank them apart. "What is your _problem?!_" I hissed as I stood up.

"My problem is you're here, and you're all over _him!_" she yelled, drawing attention from tables all around. Zuko rose from behind us, tiptoeing in an attempted escape.  
"Oh no, you don't," I chuckled as I pulled on his shirt, "What is going on here, Zuko?"  
His eyes pleaded with me.  
"Zuko? His name is Lee, tramp…" the girl murmured.

"_What _did you call me?!"

And just as fast as she had uttered the word, punches were flying (my doing), kicks connecting (mostly from me), foul-mouthing (_that_ was her), and a couple of well placed hair-yanking. Our screams and shrieks were soon ignored by the other occupants, very much as we were ignoring Zuko's arms wedging in between us and throwing us to the floor.

I panted as Zuko helped me up; the girl was already up and seething.  
I glared at the firebender, "Care to explain?"

He sighed, "Katara, this is… Jin. Jin, this is Katara, my…"

I growled, "His _girlfriend_."


	10. Out of the Palm of her Hand

I honestly could not believe it.

…

…

Zuko and Sokka were…_ buddies_…?

Aang and I had severely sworn that Ozai and Azula would throw us a tea party in Gran-Gran's igloo before those two would so much as spend a day without making me heal at least one minor injury.  
We had mocked the idea of them getting along, yet here they were: sharpening weapons and talking rapidly in hushed tones.

"How do you think it happened?" Aang inquired.  
I shrugged, "I asked Zuko to be nice for once."  
Silence met me and I turned. His grey eyes were wide open, very much like his mouth.  
"And he listened? What did you _do_ to him?"  
I smiled as Sokka excused himself to go "hunting" with Suki.

"Watch," I murmured as I made my way to the firebender.

"Hey, Zuko?" He glanced up at me suspiciously before hissing a hushed '_What?_'  
"Could you help me do the laundry today?" I asked in my best sugary voice.  
"No." He went back to his broadsword. I sat down next to him and hooked my index finger under his chin. He turned his head to me, golden eyes full to the brim with dread.  
I kissed him softly, ignoring Aang's multiple gasps when the prince responded with intensifying passion. I pulled away.

"Please?"  
He growled and kissed my cheek, "Dammit, woman…"  
He stood up and carried the laundry basket to the river.

"You see, Aang? There's nothing to it."


	11. Nails for Breakfast, Lemurs for Snacks

"So I can't eat it?"  
I glared, "It's a _he_, Zuko; Momo is a _he_."  
He groaned, "I didn't need to know that."  
I shrugged, "Suit yourself; but if you and Momo one day encounter some bizarre gender misunderstanding issue, don't come crying to me!"

…

…

"Right, so can I eat it?"  
"No! Why don't you just ask Sokka for some food?"  
You'd think I'd grown a second head by the look he gave me.  
"Okay, I know… Bad suggestion…"  
"You think?"  
"Yes, unlike you, I do."  
"You insufferable peasant!"  
"Wow, nice. Never heard _that one_ before."

"AAAGH!!!"


	12. Common Ground

One day.  
It was just one day Toph and I wanted to relax and unwind. We train aang _every single day_ with a smile on our faces but, believe it or not, the cheery monk could get on anyone's last nerve after a couple of hours.  
But of course, my brother just _had_ to butt in, this time with backup from his stupid _new recruit_.

Zuko.

"Katara, don't stay out too late."  
I inched towards the door, "I won't, Zuko."  
"And Toph, don't talk to any strangers."  
She bent the earth under us, gaining several inches, "Relax, Snoozles, we'll be fine."  
"Katara, don't risk waterbending in public."  
I repressed a growl, "I wouldn't _dream_ of it, Zuko."

Then, salvation came.

"Hey guys, mind helping me with something?"  
I mouthed a big 'Thanks' as the bald monk distracted my brother and my--- Zuko.

"Toph?"  
"…Yeah?"  
"RUN!!!"  
A few walls were broken in our escape, but at least we were spared father-talks from two teenagers. Two _very_ persistent teenagers.

"Zuko?"  
"Yeah, Sokka?"  
"Wanna follow them?"  
The firebender whipped out his backpack, "I thought you'd never ask…" 


	13. Drama Props

Ugh.  
I just _had_ to jump at the chance of directing the school play, didn't I? Because who _doesn't _want to direct a bunch of no-talent, lazy scum who had gotten into drama for free make-out time?

"All right, people, get moving!! Jet, stop sucking Jin's face, please."

He turned to me, "Would you rather it was you, Tara?"  
"Don't call me that," I growled.

"Rehearsal starts in ten minutes!!"  
Zuko grabbed my arm, "Quit it, Kat. You've been saying that for the past hour."  
I shrugged, "So? It's not like you can stop me."  
I cleared my throat.

"TEN MINUTES, PEOPLE!! JET, WHAT DID I SAY ABOU--"  
He kissed me.

Ten minutes _very_ well spent.


	14. Getting Around

"Sokka, you're such a whore."

"Excuse me?!"

Toph snickered, "Sugar Queen's right, Snoozles; you just gotta get with every candy on the shelf, don't you?"

Zuko joined in, "Whore? _That?_ Please, he couldn't get around even if he tried."  
Katara elaborated, lacing her fingers with the prince's own, "Oh you'd be surprised by how many girls fall for that boomerang."  
Aang nodded, "There was Yue."

"And Ty Lee." 

Toph growled, "And Suki."

"Oh yeah?! What about you Katara?!"  
Zuko raised an eyebrow down at her, "Yeah, what about _you_, Katara?"

She blushed, "Nothing."  
Toph smirked, "Aw, Sugar Queen's being modest; Twinkletoes, Haru, Jet, who _hasn't--_"

"JET?!"

"I'll leave you to explain yourself, Sweetness."


	15. Out of Excuses

The ground was soft under my back and the grass slightly moist from dawn. A chilly wind blew through the folds of my light dress and I curled my body against his. A deep laugh erupted from his throat as he wrapped another arm around my back and heated it.  
I cannot remember a time when I had felt so blissfully free of worry, a time when all my thoughts were centered around one person.  
There had been occasions when I thought I did, but all of them had flickered down to nothing.

As opposed to my element, I needed a love that could burn my veins in exhilaration, one that could ignite a fiery passion no ocean could quench. Unlike other waterbenders, I needed someone volatile to balance my annoying patience, someone who had my temper with an element to match.

I needed Zuko.

The sun rose further into the sky, reminding me of my dreaded, yet imminent curfew.  
"Zuko," I murmured against his neck.  
He mumbled something that sounded vaguely like 'Tara' and buried his face in my hair.  
"Zuko, I have to go," there was a large, persistent lump in my throat as I said this.  
He immediately woke up, his arms tightening around me.

"No, Katara. Stay, stay with me."  
There was a thing thread of heartbreak in his voice that brought tears to my eyes.  
"I can't, Zuko…I—I can't."  
In a flash, I was up, fixing my dress and attempting to block out memories of his fingers combing through my hair as I braided it.

"Why?"  
The braiding stopped.  
"Why what?"  
He stood and grabbed my hips, "Why can't you stay?"  
"Sokka'll look for me."  
"Let him find you."  
"He'd kill you if he found out."  
He smiled, "He couldn't even if he tried to."  
"Aang would be crushed."  
He pulled me closer, "He'll get over it."

Good point.

"Um… Y—I—We don't work as a couple!!"  
He laughed and kissed my neck, "Were you out of it for the past six hours?"  
I blushed and lightly punched his chest, "You're a prince."  
"So?"  
I blinked back tears, "You're supposed to marry a princess, genius."  
"I don't have to."  
"Your people would never accept me."  
"Like your little 'world's last hope', they'll get over it."  
"But—I—with the--"

His lips touched mine softly, "You're out of excuses, love."  
I closed my eyes and stubbornly shook my head, "No, I'm not."  
He chuckled.

"Yes, you are."


	16. Colorology 101

A groan echoed around the store.

"Oh, suck it up, Zuko; you wanted to walk around a bit, we're walking." 

He glared as I examined a necklace.  
"This is not walking, woman; This is cruel and unusual torture."  
I turned with a pink choker in hand, "Mmhmm. Now, what do you think about this?"  
In my opinion, it was an exquisite piece in a beautiful pale rose silk, with soft peach accents embedded around the neckline.

"It'll look horrible on you."  
I gaped, "What?"  
He shrugged and approached the clerk behind the counter, who was staring at him both in fear and admiration.  
"Does this come in blue, green, or turquoise?"  
The man nodded and ran out a back door.

"How do you know this?" I asked as he plucked the necklace from my hand and tossed it on the counter.

"Basic color coordination," he droned, "Your eyes are blue and your skin is a… soft chocolate, so you should avoid bright colors. Red, orange, yellow, pink, brown obviously, dark colors. Wear blues, light purples, soft greens, and lots of white. They do wonders for your skin."

…

I stared.

…

"What?"  
"So I'm guessing whatever I wear, you can't?"  
He nodded, "It'd be disgusting. Give it a shot."  
I raised an eyebrow, "At what?"  
"My colors."

I shrugged, "Red, obviously… no yellow, it'll make you look like cheese… no light colors, black would bring out your eyes, I guess… No brown… and muddy dark colors would make you look suicidal."

He smiled softly, "Good."

The clerk returned with three necklaces: Blue, green, and turquoise. Zuko nodded, "We'll take them."

I sighed, "You are SO gay…"


	17. Not Such a Bad Idea

"Stay away from her."  
I turned around, "What?"

The boys (yes, two of them, to be exact) were standing a little ways behind me, glaring at the fire I had started a couple of minutes ago as I continued to kindle it. The Avatar had a look of rage and disbelief plastered on his youthful face, whilst the Water Tribe peasant was casually brandishing his ridiculous boomerang at my face.  
"You know damn well what I'm talking about, you filthy, disgusting, fire--"

"Okay, let's try that again," I turned to the Avatar, "_You_ tell me what's going on."  
The monk shrugged and crossed his arms, glaring at me and pathetically attempting to imitate my scowl. He shook his head slowly at me, thrusting his arm out to stop the peasant from chucking that sad excuse for a weapon in my direction.

"Stay away from Katara, Zuko," he said, closing his eyes briefly when Sokka growled at the mention of his sister.  
"What are you idiots talking about?" I asked ardently, slightly concerned with the welfare of my fire as the brother stalked towards me.

"Don't play stupid, fireboy," he hissed, "I've seen the way you look at her; do you honestly think we're _that _dense?" I opened my mouth to reply, but the Avatar interrupted, "Don't answer that, Zuko."

"Even Iroh can see it," the peasant continued, "if I so much as _suspect _you've laid a hand on her, I swear I will tear you limb from limb, scatter you all over the globe to be fed to ferocious animals, and make it look like an accident."

I gulped.

"Li- Like you could, peasant," I said as steadily as I could manage not because of his measly threats, but because of the idea of having the waterbender.  
It had never occurred to me before, seriously, it hadn't. But now, as she walked back into camp and the idiots stepped away with a clear "I'm watching you," threat on their lips, she had never looked more radiant. I had never noticed the way her hair glowed in the sun, or the specific bounce her step adopted whenever she was happy. She turned and smiled at me, giving me a clear view of her full lips.

Maybe going after her wasn't such a bad idea…


	18. Labels

My entire life, I've been judged. My tribe always held me at arm's length to size me up, to determine whether or not I met the standards they had set for the entire village. Girls from the Water Tribe were supposed to be shapely, meek, docile, _obedient_. Then there was me, the underdeveloped tomboy who spent most of her time helping her brother with battle tactics, often neglected her chores, and still thought boys had cooties. They were all probably gossiping about how I've been kicking ass all over the world next to the Avatar, the Fire Prince, the Dragon of the West, and the Blind Bandit.

Sokka, I think, has always been the goofball older brother everyone has. He's there when you need him, he can be sweet if he wants to, but he can also reach top stupidity levels. I remember every single kid in the village looked up to Sokka as a second father, a model to follow while their fathers returned from the war. He watched out for me against even the smallest of threats around me and deep down, I've always appreciated his companionship.

Aang had immediately taken up the post of the optimist, always looking at the bright side of even the darkest situations. He's a sensitive guy, but I've also come to find he can be the biggest pushover when he has no reason to behave otherwise. He lets others have their way, even if I _know_ he could kick all their asses to hell and back if he wanted to and was provoked enough to do it.

Iroh has been behaving like the father all of us needed, caring, and lecturing us about everything he could find something to say about. In between the tea, the sermons, and the nonstop making-unintentional-fun-of-Zuko, she never doubted everyone else felt the same kind of fathery-ness emanating from him.

Then, there was Zuko.

I knew what to expect from him. Everyone knew he was a traitor, an exile, temperamental, stubborn, and hell-bent on single-minded goals. The Fire Nation didn't want him, and for a while, I thought we didn't have to either; but, as time wore on and complications arose, his profile began shifting.  
He was no longer moody (at least, not to me,), he helped with the chores, and I could swear to La I've seen him smile at least twice since his attitude towards me changed.

What the world didn't know, I thought as he kissed the palm of my hand, is that he's charming, elegant, passionate, determined, stubborn, loyal, patient (when he wants to be) amorous, persistent, and, most importantly…

The world didn't know that I loved him.


	19. Icicles

**Okay, this one's for the challenge set up by Kitty Elkabush.  
Challenge: Name it Icicles.  
Here goes…**

**TF**

"Just for the record, this is all your fault," she said darkly, shrinking off into a distant corner. Her clothes were slightly damp and completely inadequate for their location.

Which was currently reading: Stuck in a glacial cave.

"How are we to pass the time?" he asked in a low voice, glancing around the icy walls with his hands shoved in his pockets.

It had started out as an overruled "bonding experienced" they had forced on themselves after one too many shouting matches in the midst of a shopping center, followed by a couple of violent sparring sessions by the weaponry department.  
Toph, the small earthbender, had promptly blasted them to opposite sides of the market and insisted they take care of settlement for the night. Katara had set up the tents, Zuko had collected firewood; Katara fed Momo, Zuko fed Appa. With a campfire, appliances, and plates ready, they had realized they were missing a key ingredient: food.

So their not-so-enjoyable adventure had begun. Zuko, being the… guy… that he was, had taken up every opportunity he'd been presented with to sabotage the brunette waterbender. Muddy pits, propelled branches, exploding water skins, the like, and such.

Taking this into full account, you, the reader, must therefore understand that he was not at all surprised when two ice daggers were brandished at him by a fuming waterbender.

"I can think of a few things I could do to pass the time," she said sarcastically, "You better start ducking."


	20. Wedding Plans

"Zuko, we're getting the peach lilies, coral linens, _and_ the beige bridesmaid dresses," she said forcefully, ignoring the frightened stares they were receiving from the help.  
"No," the Fire Lord replied simply, "This is a Fire Nation wedding. We're going with crimson and gold."

She growled, "All of which look horrible on me!"  
"You'll look beautiful," he said dismissively.  
"Besides," she retorted, "It's not just a Fire Nation wedding, it's important for the Water Tribes too."  
"And I'm sure they'll appreciate us harmonizing the two traditional colors of the Fire Nation."

She shrieked, "You are impossible! This is supposed to be a great day for both of us! Do you think that maybe, just maybe, you could put your stupid pride and loyalty on hold for just one second!"  
The servants gasped softly, all of them shifting their gazes to a fidgeting Fire Lord.

…

…

…

"We're getting the red."  
"AARGGH!!"

The servants ducked.

censored


	21. Wager

"What are you doing?"   
I glanced up slowly, waving the book in front of his face, "I'm reading, dolt."  
He frowned, his eyes shifting suspiciously from the book to my face. He yanked it from my grasp and asked incredulously, "You can read?"

A growl escaped my throat, "Great idea, Zuko; insult the master waterbender who is reading at the edge of a _lake_."  
He laughed, flipping idly through the book's pages, "What are you reading, anyway?"  
My breath hitched as I realized he was about to read the last page I'd marked.

That could _not_ happen.

" Zuko, give me my book back!"  
He dangled it a little ways above my head, raising it every time I jumped up to get it, "Why should I? Maybe I'll like it."

"NO!!" I screamed, clawing blindly at his outstretched arm, "Give it back!"

He stepped back to distance himself from me, opening the book threateningly.

"Zuko. Give. It. Back." I hissed, "Now."

He fixed his gaze on the page, his eyes scanning it carefully.

"A romance novel?" he gasped, reading the entire page before tossing the book back to me, "This is precious; wait 'till your brother finds out the stuff you've been reading." 

The blood drained from my face as I recalled certain… Inappropriate… chapters.

"You can't tell him," I pleaded, "ever."

"Okay," I smiled, "On one condition." Aaaand the smile vanished.  
"What?" I asked suspiciously, taking careful notice of the way he was approaching me. 

"Come shopping with me," he said softly.  
"Okay," I said happily, "But only if I do all the shopping for you."

"…Does that mean I'll end up looking like Sokka?"


	22. Apocalypse

"What do you think it'll be like?" she whispered against his shoulder, determined to keep her eyes off the soon-to-be eclipsed sky.  
"I-" he stuttered incomprehensibly, rubbing her back with a calloused hand, "I… don't know, Kat."

She was extremely aware of his body wrapped tightly around hers, his head atop hers, their joined hands resting on his lap. The forest around them smelt strongly of sandalwood, with the faint hint of burning bark weaving their thoughts. The walls of the Fire Nation stood proudly a few miles from where they sat, an ominous sign of what awaited them come tomorrow morning.

Neither of them knew exactly where or how the rest of the gang was spending their night, though Katara was pretty sure they had split into pairs much like she and Zuko had. This was what could be their last day alive, one last night to make everything right. They had all agreed that it was not a moment to be spent in silence, around a campfire, wishing for a couple of hours of solitude.  
The pairs had been sliced off pretty nicely, Katara with Zuko by the lake; Suki with Sokka had stayed at the campsite, leaving Aang and Toph talking at the edge of a nearby cliff. They had parted with tender goodbyes, friendly hugs and rushed steps to make the most of the night.

"Do you believe in him, Zuko?" she asked, closing her eyes as his body temperature rose slightly, heating her arms and legs, "Do you really think we can make it?"  
He kissed the top of her head and released her hand to grab her waist, "I think I do, Katara, but I can't say I'm not worried."

"Aren't we all?" he asked ironically, playing with a knot at the edge of her shirt, "Katara, we might be dead by this time tomorrow…"  
She lifted her head, "Or, we could be making arrangements to live life the way we said we would."  
He smirked, "Which would be?"

"Together."


	23. Be Still

**A/N: People, as of now, I am starting a couple of drabbles based on some of my favorite songs. I'll try to sneak in a few lyrics, but it **_**is**_** a drabble, so the best way to go is to look it up on Youtube and go from there.  
First up is fluffy sadness, inspired by Kelly Clarkson's "Be Still" from her relatively new album, "My December."**

**BE STILL.**

_Far, away from it all,  
You and me with no one else around…_

But how can we be, love? How can you stand there and look down upon your kingdom without a pinch of regret? Just seeing you with such a heartbreaking look on your face on the night preceding your home's fall makes me want to tear it apart, to run it so deeply into the ground so that there is nothing left for you to grieve. Your fists clenching, the distracted look on your face, the way your eyes narrow, it all pushes the knife in a little deeper; almost like seeing you die over and over and _over_ again.  
I feel like they don't deserve the kind of person you are as a prince. All they've done is hurt you and do everything in their power to diminish whatever drive you had left in you. I can't see why you'd want to protect them so much when you've got us, Zuko. We all care about you more than your nation ever did, but I guess I can understand where you're coming from. I'm the same way; you love your nation and you've done something so horrendously out of line that there's no way you could ever fit in again.

Exiled prince who spoke up during a war council and must chase the Avatar.  
Foolish waterbending girl who refuses to marry and insists on fighting in a war.

_A brand new start is all we need, that's all we need,  
To mend these hearts… Back to the beginning…_

_Be still, be still, let him go…  
Foolish one with a smile, you don't have to be brave,_

"Zuko?" my words venture wildly into dangerous territory, they pierce the heady silence that's been hanging over us since we left the campsite, "Love, come back."  
You're standing on the very edge of the cliff, staring out into the well lit city we will attack come dawn. Your fists are clenched again, but this time you actually look at me before you speak, "I'm coming, Tara."  
The smile that bursts on my lips is hardly small as I pat the patch of grass next to me. You take it as royally and gracefully as you would the Fire Nation throne with a smirk.  
"The moon is out," you point out, placing a soft kiss next to my ear, "How do you feel?"

I unconsciously lean my head the other way, coaxing your mouth on my skin, "I'm terrified."  
"I'd worry if you weren't," you murmur, hissing as my fingers comb through your hair, "We're all scared." 

_Every time we fall down, but we've fallen from grace  
I'll gladly climb your walls, if you meet me… halfway…_

Amidst your words, kisses, and slight brushes of your hands on my sides, the fact that we are now lying down on the grass registers dimly in my head, as does the muffled boom of distant thunder. How fitting, it seems, for the final battle to take place on the eve of a thunderstorm. Almost against my will, I imagine the roar of the sky drowning out the screams in the city, the rain washing out the blood from our faces, our hands, our blades. I grimace against your lips and you lift your head.  
"Don't," you say, "We'll cross that bridge when we get there."  
A tear slips from my lids and a sobs chokes my throat, " I know, but I can't stop thinking about the blood, Zuko… so much blood…"  
"The only blood staining the Fire Nation tomorrow will be my father's," the hate in your voice is soothed by, I assume, my loving glance. I've noticed you're always staring at my eyes, whether it's during a sparring session or just as I drift off to sleep. Doesn't the Fire Nation have blue eyes at all? You told me once I was the first person you'd ever seen that had blue eyes. I taught you how to calm down ages ago, remember?

_Here's my hand and my heart, they're yours to… take…_

And you love me for it.


	24. To Blame the Pentapus

**To blame the pentapus.**

I've said it before. I'm just a simple guy, with a boomerang. I didn't ask for all this flying, and magic, and horrendous _babysitting_. Of course, traveling with the world's most powerful water and earthbenders, the Avatar, the Dragon of the West, and the recently "reformed" banished prince of the Fire Nation had its perks, but honestly, how many times was I to look over my baby sister's shoulders just to make sure she didn't get herself into any trouble.  
I mean, that's all a guy could ever ask for, right? To keep his little sister as innocent as possible for as long as possible; and I had been doing a pretty damn good job of keeping her that way, until _he _came along.

I knew Aang had a crush on Katara, but seeing as he'd never made a move before now, you couldn't really blame me for not considering the boy a threat to my sister's chastity. Haru had been way too much of a wimp to stand a chance against a relationship with my sis, and don't even get me started on Jet.

The fact that my little Katara, the tiny Snow Bear from my village, had returned from her "morning bending" hand in hand with _Zuko_ of all people, was not a very comforting thought. Katara was giggling softly and she was leaning on his shoulder, and he was smiling while he whispered something to her. I, on the other hand, was clutching my boomerang so tightly the leather had begun to leave marks on my palm, and was currently glaring at the exiled prince so heatedly I was surprised holes hadn't appeared on the side of his head.

"Care to explain, Katara?"

She stuttered for a bit, but quickly regained her breath, "We were just sparring, Sokka."

I nodded, "And what are those marks on both your necks?"

Zuko shrugged, "I don't see any marks."

"I do," I countered, "They look like hic--"

"W- We ran into a couple of purple pentapus in the lake, Sokka."

"Ha! A purple has four tentacles and five spots on each, trust me. I know."

Zuko blanched, and he and Katara exchanged glances.

"Run?" 

"Oh, yeah."


	25. Better than Me

**Better Than Me (Hakoda's POV) By Hinder**

_I think you can do much better than me,  
After all the lies that I made you believe…_

I cried.  
Never had I thought I would cry again since the death of my beloved. But now, standing behind a tall, mahogany podium, clad in black and covered in tears, I have proven myself wrong. My black suit had the remnants of teardrops along the tie and the collar, and I knew that by now my eyes must have been as puffy as Sokka's face after eating too many fire flakes. I forced myself to focus on the matter at hand and I gazed upon the cold, dead body of my little Snow Bear.

"At this time," I cleared my throat with difficulty, "I would like to render the floor to anyone who wishes to share their fondest memories of my daughter, Katara."  
This was, of course, just a formality. I knew that Sokka would be the one to come up here, and he would talk of his childhood days with his sister. I would laugh weakly when he retold the story of the fish hooks, and I would cry again when he got to how she died. This would get everyone else to cry, thus venting the entire room of bottled emotions. I saw my eldest son stand up, adjust his blazer, and step forward. I gestured to him to approach the stand, but halted immediately after I saw him.

"I would like to say a few words about your daughter, Chief Hakoda."

_When guilt kicks in then I start to see,  
The edge of the bed where your nightgown used to be…_

He walked amazingly fast and ignored the curious stares he was receiving from the many people in the chapel. He lightly shook hands with Sokka and climbed the steps to where I stood. He was dressed in a suit very much similar to the one I was wearing, and his eyes were dry and red in a manner that greatly resembled how I expected mine to look. I knew he had been my daughter's latest romantic interest, though no one was particularly clear on how the relationship had turned out, whether or not they had still been together on that fateful day. Nothing good could come out of letting _Zuko Agni_ speak the last words at my daughter's funeral, but I found myself nodding, shaking his hand, and moving over to allow him space.  
His voice shook as he began speaking.

"My name is Zuko Agni," he cleared his throat in an uncannily resembling manner to mine, "And I would like to talk about what I deemed to be Katara's greatest accomplishments."  
Several scoffs were heard throughout the crowd, but he continued, "Katara was a beautiful, smart, kind girl who always, _always_ put others before herself. I had the pleasure to know her in her teenage years which, regrettably, proved to be her last. Our first encounter was somewhat less than ideal, her tripping over her own feet and knocking me to the ground in the senior hallway," a couple of laughs came from Katara's classmates, "but she eventually got under my skin, the same way she got under everyone else's. With every passing day, I grew more and more attached to her. When I finally worked up the nerve to ask her out, she surprised me by refusing."

_Oh no… I told myself I won't miss you, but I remember,  
What it feels like beside you…_

The air was thick around him as he continued, clearing the doubts many of us had where his courtship with Katara was concerned. The way he spoke of her, the loving detail he painted on the picture of my little girl's memoir was so heartbreakingly romantic that I suddenly wished my wife could've been here to hear him. He told us about the time they went on the school skiing trip, where Katara broke her leg and he had to carry her back to the inn. He spoke of the way his stomach flipped inside out on itself whenever she looked at him a certain way. But most of all, he spoke of how my Snow Bear had changed his life.

"I loved Katara with every ounce of my being," he said, "and I am as torn about her death as any other person in this room, maybe even more. Katara's memory is still fresh in my mind, and I feel it is up to me to tell her last story to the people who loved her."  
The room held its breath.  
"Katara was shot from behind on her way to my car. We had been planning on," his voice gave way, "spending the day at… at the beach to celebrate the end of term. There was a smile on her face as she said my name, a-and the only thing I saw as she fell was the face of that forever damned bastard…" he stopped for a second, and his panting breath was barely audible on the microphone, "I don't remember ever running as fast as I did that day. I must have spent the entire time in between the attack and the arrival of the ambulance just talking to her, begging her to wake up before I realized she was gone. But that never stopped me from loving her."

_I really miss your hair in my face,  
And the way your innocence tastes…  
And I think you should know this,_

_You deserve much better than me…_

**A/N: WoW. This is so not like me. I promise, more comedy in the next one!**

**R&R, please!!**


	26. Bending Betrayal

"IROH!!"

The old firebender approached the campsite, cup in hand, and inspected the situation before him.  
Sokka, the Water Tribe strategist, was having an unsuccessful stand-off with our campfire, which was being suddenly reduced to a small flame then blasting off into a wildfire that licked at the boy's garments.

"Yes, Sokka?"  
He glowered, "The fire's broken! Fix it!"  
The former general chose to ignore the concept of "fixing a broken fire" and focused his breath on the fire, which had diminished in size again. The fire would rise and fall in sync with his inhalation and exhalation, but that did not prevent it from blasting off out of control from time to time.

"I'm sorry, son," the man said, "There appears to be a stronger force influencing the flames."  
"But you're the only powerful firebender around for miles!" Sokka exclaimed, not even bothering to count Zuko or Aang, who were both considerably far from becoming masters.  
"Actually," Iroh continued, "There is someone else whose emotions might fuel this fire, young one."

Sokka's face scrunched up, "Well, what kind of emotions fuel a fire?"  
Iroh stroked his beard, "Anger, traditionally, frustration, passion--"

"Hey, Sokka," Aang called, "have you seen Katara and Zuko? They were supposed to be back hours ago."

Sokka's features darkened.

"_**ZUKO!!"**_

_Somewhere in the forest…_

Katara lifted her head from the prince's chest and poked him awake.  
"Zuko, did you hear something?"  
He stroked her hair softly and coaxed her head back down, "No, why?"

"_**ZUKO!!!"**_

"Hey, wasn't that your--"  
"I think we should go back now."__


	27. Heimlich

"_**Get away from my sister!!"**_

With some difficulty, we separated, though Zuko still held me securely in his arms. I groaned at the sight of the intruder, my own two blue eyes staring back at me. Sokka was brandishing Aang's glider at us, which made me assume it had been the only thing he had been able to grab on short notice.

I pried Zuko's arms from my back and began the damage control.

"He-ey, Sokka," I pushed Zuko away, "You see, Zuko here had swallowed a- um… large piece of—ah, pie. Yes, and he was-uh… choking on it, yes! Isn't that right, Zuko?"  
Zuko's eyes widened at being put on the spot like that, but he rose to the occasion.

"Um, that's absolutely right, Katara," he stuttered, hoping the red on his cheeks was subduing by now, "and your sister here reacted accordingly by, um… giving me the Heimlich maneuver, and now I'm fine, so you can go now."

I personally thought it was a pretty believable, but I hoped Sokka didn't notice Zuko's little slip-up.

"Really?" Sokka's arms crossed as he approached us, "Wow, how heroic of you, Kat. But you know what, Zuko?" 

Zuko and I blanched, "What?" 

Sokka poked Zuko with Aang's glider harshly and his eyes narrowed, "The Heimlich doesn't require mouth to mouth contact, so I think you should run now."

Good point……


	28. The Niece He'd Never Had

**The Niece He'd Never Had**

Zuko had just about had enough of the irritant waterbender bullying him when the others weren't looking, and I was sick of being the butt of her jokes, the target of her pranks, and just the person she loved to torture the most.

But, oh man, did she have it coming to her now.

I was absolutely sure Uncle had seen the whole thing; the way his eyes widened as he saw me drenched in tea and a sphere of jasmine brew hovering over the girl's hand. I was certain he'd seen the way she attacked me behind my back, how cowardly she'd harassed me when we had finally found ourselves alone in the campsite.  
Uncle opened his mouth and I was shaking with giddy anticipation.

"_Zuko, did you see that?! Miss Katara is a __**teabender!!!**_"

_Oh, Agni kill me now._


	29. Spirits Bless the Bison

**Spirits Bless the Bison**

Zuko stood alone in front of the campfire, with no one as company save the group's flying bison. The great, majestic creature lowed behind him in search of attention and he grabbed several mangoes from the Avata's pack.

"Here you go," he said to himself as he tossed the fruit into the animal's mouth, and he watched pensively as he chewed, "What am I going to do about _her_, Appa?"

The bison grumbled helplessly.

"She's always strutting around camp, and I just can't take my eyes off of her," he didn't know what was driving him to pour out his heart to the last specimen of the flying, but it was the best therapy he'd had in a while.

"Maybe it would be easier if she was just a little bitchy to me, but _no_…" Appa nodded his big head in sympathy, "She _has to_ smile, and giggle, and touch my hand, and…"

He sighed.

"Sorry, big guy," Zuko said, laying a heavy hand on Appa's fur, "You probably don't even care anyway." _Or understand me, for that matter._

Appa's eyes widened in comprehension.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Katara walked slowly in front of Appa, throwing a watermelon into his mouth and picking her basket back up. She had been feeling a bit wary of Zuko lately, which made the movement clumsy. He had been constantly staring at her for the past two days, and his once platonic advances towards her had turned suggestive.  
Whenever he'd help her off Appa, his hand would slide from her ribs, down to her hips, and again to her hand. He would whisper a 'good morning' in her ear every day, and ended said day with a light kiss on her throat.

She walked the length of Appa and stopped in front of his tail. Zuko was blocking her way, smirking triumphantly as he held Aang's bison whistle a small ways from his mouth.

He gave it two short blows and Appa growled, lifting his tail from behind Katara and snapping it back down against her legs. She tumbled forward with a shriek, grabbing onto Zuko's arms for support. He leaned his head towards hers and caught her lips flawlessly, moving his arms from her waist, up her back, and towards her hip.

"_**Get away from my sister!!**_"

Zuko dropped her instantly, lifting his arms in surrender and yelling, "_**It was the bison's fault!!**_"


	30. Thou Shalt Not Sin

"Stop it, Zuko."

I shifted uncomfortably in the bench, trying my best to concentrate on the priest's sermon. Not really my fault my mind kept wondering, considering Zuko's hand had decided to accommodate itself on my thigh for the entire ceremony. Aang was a couple of yards in front of us, ready for his confirmation. The fitted dress I had bought for the occasion was giving me an undesired advantage with Zuko, who took every opportunity he found to slip his arm around my waist or run his hand across my back.

I fixed my gaze firmly on the altar, biting my lip as Zuko's hand realized what a compromising position it was in and began exploring my skin. I could tell his always present smirk widening at my reaction as his thumb rubbed circles on my leg. His fingers were wandering shamelessly along my inner thigh, eliciting a sharp gasp from me.

Several of the guests turned around to glare at me in the traditional 'girl-you-better-shut-yo'-mouth-before-I-shut-it-for-you' glare. I smiled apologetically at them, inconspicuously jabbing my elbow into Zuko's gut.  
"Stop that right _now_," I hissed, taking his hand off of me.

"Why don't you make me?" he retorted softly, leaning over to me and kissing my neck as subtly as he could.

I grabbed his hand and hauled him out of the chapel, hoping to God no one would hear us from the priest's office.


	31. Detention

"Don't talk to me."

"Come on, Kat; how was I supposed to know we weren't allowed off campus for lunch?"

"The locked gates didn't ring any bells to you?"

"Kinda hard to notice them when I'm pushing you over, don't you think?"

"I tried to talk you out of it!"

"Oh, yes, by suggesting we hit the sushi place first."

"I should have just had lunch with Aang…"

"Baldy?"

"No, Zuko; _Aang. _Say it with me now, _Aang_…"

"Loser."

"No talking!"

"Shut up, Zuko!"

"What's that, Katara? You're sorry? Oh, well, apology accepted."

I stood up and threw my pen at him, which collided awkwardly with his neck, "You're impossible!"

"Hey, Kat?"

I hissed, "What?"

He pointed to the desk in front of us, "She's out of it again." He stood and grabbed my hand, leading me out of the classroom, past the sleeping teacher, and through the mob of students trying to bail detention.

Once outside, eating sushi, I kissed him swiftly, "That's why I hang out with you."

He licked his lips, "Love you too."


	32. Slap

The first time she'd done it had been because she meant it.

She, in her own opinion, had been within her right to leave his cheek throbbing for a week. He had called her what Gran-Gran had called the mothers she didn't approve of, plus a certain range of variations that weren't quite pleasant either.

The second time she'd done it had been because he startled her.

He wasn't supposed to say the things he was saying, nor look at her with his golden eyes and act like he actually meant it. She had been sure it was all a ruse, a clever way to distract her; there was no way _Zuko_ could feel that way about _her_.

The third time she'd done it had been because he'd kissed her.

No, no, no, no, no, _no._ There was no way they could pull this off without anyone suspecting anything, especially Iroh. The sensation hadn't been particularly repelling, in fact, she was pretty sure she'd kissed him back at some point, but she had to stop it before it went too far.

The fiftieth time she'd done it had been because of his inability to behave in public company.

_Well it's true…_ he'd whispered.  
_That doesn't give them a right to know…_ she'd retorted, jabbing him with her elbow. What they did in their private time was just that, _**private**_.

The hundredth time she'd done it had been to bring back memories.

**A/N: I've noticed I haven't put up a disclaimer in the longest time, so here: I don't own Avatar or any other copyrighted thingamabobbers I use to spice things up a little.**


	33. Sharing is Caring

According to all scientific laws of nature, he should have been pretty pissed off at her.

Had it been her brother, the Avatar, the girl, or his own uncle, he would have blown up at all of them for invading his privacy; he would have sulked off on his own and punished them by firebending little childish pranks at their expense anytime he could.

He knew he should be yelling at her at the top of his lungs, but somehow he couldn't.

And as Katara wrapped her arms around his middle, soft, caring, and smelling of _his_ shampoo, he decided he had never been more willing to share his possessions as he was now.


	34. Aloe Vera

She fought back a gasp with difficulty, wincing in pain as his hand traced the mark with salve.

"I am so sorry," came Aang's voice from above her, and she smiled encouragingly at him. It had been an accident, after all. Just like the time when he'd first started firebending. She had no reason to blame him, and she didn't. Zuko, however, was a whole different story.

"You're lucky he was just breathing," he told her, rubbing the wound on her leg with aloe, "Had he been actually bending, he would have burned you to the bone."

She saw tears well up in Aang's eyes and she cut Zuko off, "But you didn't, right, Aang?" the monk nodded subtly, "It was all just an accident. I shouldn't have been walking through here anyway."

Zuko growled, "How else were you supposed to reach the river?" he gestured towards Aang, "His blast wasn't even meant to be directed towards you," he turned and faced the boy head-on with a glare, "Maybe if your aim or your control was a little better, she wouldn't be hurt right now."

A tear slipped from Aang's eyes and she grabbed his hand, "It's okay, Aang, see?" She patted the wound softly and screamed inside her head, "it barely hurts anymore. Just promise me you'll be more careful next time, ok?"

He nodded stiffly and bowed low, "Yes, Sifu Katara." He ran off to talk to Toph and Iroh, his little orange cape billowing behind him.

Once he was out of earshot, she gasped in pain, "Zuko, help."  
He growled a bit more loudly this time and grabbed her leg, "Why the _hell_ did you do that? To make him feel better about burning you?"

She nodded with a wane smile on her face, "He's just a kid, Zuko."  
Zuko lathered more salve onto the exposed skin and kissed her cheek, "He should be more careful with fire. One false move and he could roast you alive."  
"Speaking of which, why can't I just heal myself?" Katara grabbed his hand, "You don't have to do this Zuko; healing it would be easier."

"Yes," he said with a kiss on her shoulder, "But healing doesn't let me touch you."


	35. Psst!

"Psst! Tara!"

I kept my eyes glued to the front of the room and my pen glued to my paper.

"Pss-sst! _Tara_!!"

The corner of my eye twitched, but still I remained stoic.

"Hey, Meng?"  
"What?"  
"Can you call Katara for me?"  
"Sure thing, hey, _Floozy!!_"

Deep breaths. Just take deep breaths and everything will turn out fine.

"_Floozy_!!"

"Quit calling her that!"

"_Tara, over here!!_"

I turned with a deadly glare on my face, hissing, "_What, Zuko?_"

"Katara, please remain quiet during my lecture unless you wish to spend Saturday in detention."

"Sorry, Master Pakku."

A small paper ball hit the back of my head.

"Tara!"

I turned and mouthed, _Talk._

"Wanna go watch movies at my place after school?"

"AAARGH!!!"


	36. Party Mood

_Right,  
Left._

_Right,  
Left._

_Breathe,  
Smile._

Katara walked down the main staircase that went from the royal alcoves on the second story down to the ballroom. The shoes which incarcerated her feet glided smoothly over the marble floor, and she was about to come within sighting range of the many guests present for the Fire Lord's twenty-first birthday when a pair of warm, broad hands closed around her hips.

She was lifted and thrown backwards up the stairs, somersaulting almost automatically in order to land silently on the floor. She faced her attacker with a full water skin hidden beneath her dress, but lowered her hands as she recognized him.

"By the Gods, Zuko," she breathed, "You scared the soul out of me."

He smirked and wrapped his arms around her, "We've got a couple of minutes to spare."

She raised an eyebrow, "And?"

His mouth closed in over hers, "And we could make good use of them, don't you think?"

She nodded and pulled him closer, edging her way towards the closest chamber.


	37. Just Right

"If you want to keep her interested, you have to act aloof; like you don't really care one way or the other."

"You really think so?"

"Oh, yeah. Also, Katara's a sucker for papaya fruit salad."

"But Aang told me she hated it."

"He likes her too, of course he'd tell you that!" 

"That conniving little snit!"

"Yeah, so go over the plan for me, just to make sure."

"Okay. I give her a papaya fruit salad for breakfast, ignore and criticize her, call her 'Sweetness', correct her bending stances, insist on managing the money, feed her bad tea, make her wash Momo, since she loves him so much, and push her around every once in a while."

"Great. You go do that, Zuko, and I'll just go watch from that tree over there."

As Katara slapped Zuko for a particular comment he'd suggested, kicked him for shoving her, and froze him to a tree for stuffing papaya into her mouth, Sokka could not grasp how anyone ever thought of him as an idiot.

For him, everything was turning out just right.


	38. Rain

This was ridiculous.

He was _not _supposed to be stuck here, at the edge of a lake, in the fucking rain, babysitting two immature children. He was supposed to be training the Avatar this evening, but _no_…

Katara had insisted that rain in this region was too much of a perfect opportunity to waste by not waterbending. So far, she had put more effort into fighting the Avatar decently than keeping herself dry.  
Her waves of brown hair were plastered to her face, which held a look of the most set determination he had seen since he last held a mirror. Her white underclothes were becoming the Avatar's (and his own) downfall, as they stuck to and fitted her body quite snugly when waterlogged. Her lips were full as always and parted as she gasped for breath, and only when she yelled over the rain did the Avatar cease his shameful ogling and mindless attacks.

She approached Zuko with a small smile on her face, and she wrapped her arms around him warmly, "I'm done, wanna go for a walk?"

He growled lowly and stroked her hair, "He was staring again." 

She laughed softly, "So were you."

Zuko chucked her chin and kissed her thoroughly, "But I can do this."


	39. Shaving

"Hey Zuko!"

"Ow! _What?_"

"Whatcha doin'?"

A hiss, "Shaving."

"Hmm. You missed a spot right there."

"Ow! Quit poking the razor!"

"But there's some stubble on your cheek!"

"Ow! Maybe I like it there!"

A shove and a scream, "Get it off!"

"What is wrong with you, woman?! You do _not_ shove a man who's holding a razor to his face!"

"But Zu-uko!! You missed a spot!!"


	40. Dramatic Entrance

"I can't believe you'd do this, Katara!" 

I smoothed the ruffles in my skirt, "Calm down, Sokka; it's just one night."

He wrapped his arm around Suki's waist, "But he's an _Agni_."

"That, I am." I smiled knowingly as Zuko's arms wrapped around my waist from behind and he kissed my cheek, "And you, Katara, look gorgeous."

I turned and kissed him chastely, grabbing his hand with mine, "You don't look so bad yourself, Agni."

Ignoring the seething Sokka behind us, he walked me to the lavishly decorated Homecoming Salon with a hand firmly set on my lower back.

As we entered the room, amidst gasps and shocked murmurs, he whispered in my ear,

"Come on, we have a scene to make."


	41. Enamored Hygiene

"Hold still!"

"Well you're making it worse!!"

She continued to sweep the thin tendril of water across my eyeball, removing an almost unnoticeable amount of the invasive substance that was irritating my eye. Each touch of water against the sensible muscle was pure, dull pain, and the sting that was currently spreading across my eyelid intensified.

"Katara, please just get it out!"

She scowled and held my chin in an iron grip, "What is soap doing in your eye in the first place?"

"I was about to put it in my hair."

She scoffed, "Why would you want to put scented body wash in your hair?"

"So I could smell nice."

Her brows knitted, "Zuko, we're constantly traveling through dirt, mud, gunk, and all sorts of other smelly stuff. We won't really hold it against you if you smell less-than-perfect, you know."

Then, she continued, "Why would you want to smell nice?"

I blushed, "Because you told me I smelled nice last week."

**A/N: I don't know if I told you, but both this drabble and 'Aloe Vera' are based on unfortunate events in my very….unfortunate life. Yes, I burned my leg while trying to iron my shirt (don't ask how, I'm not quite sure myself) and I got body wash in my eye while trying to make my hair smell nice….**

**OH, LIKE YOU'VE NEVER DONE IT BEFORE!?!?**

**Kidding!**

**(Review)**

**  
(Please)**

**TF**


	42. Cutie Cutie

"I want that one!"

He grasped her hand and dragged her away from the vehicle, shaking his head at the salesman. She growled and tried to yank her hand away, "Zuko, I want the one over _there._"

"Yes, but the one over _there_," he pointed to another part of the lot, "won't kill you in a crash."

The salesman tugged at his collar uncomfortably, trying to put in a word or two, "You know, we _do_ offer both chic and safe cars, like the one over there."

"See, Katara?" Zuko said to her, dragging her to the small SUV, "The man's offering safety."

She walked, however, in the direction of a small convertible.

"KATARA, YOU GET YOUR ASS IN THIS SUV BEFORE I CHOP IT!!!"

She pouted, "But this one's _cute_…"

"Fine…" he scowled, "We'll take the convertible, please."


	43. Happy, happy, joy, joy!

"NO!!"

"Wait, you!! Come back here!!"

"Zuko, he's biting my leg!!"

"AANG, GET DOWN FROM THERE!!"

"What's he DOING?!?!"

"I don't know, but up there, it can't be good!!"

"Leo, DOWN!!"

"Hey, watch that one over there!!"

A small boy jumped his way over to Katara, "CHARGE!!"

Zuko's eyes widened, "Katara, MOVE!!!"

The boy's tiny body went flying at the crash, and sent Katara sprawling onto Zuko. He wrapped his arms around her body and twisted his body to take most of the impact.

On a jumping balloon.

She landed on top of him, her mouth crashing over his and adapting to the newfound comfort, despite the disgusted screams from the kids. His hands roamed over her back as he kissed her fervently, blatantly ignoring the stares they were now receiving from concerned parents.

Never had he been so glad to supervise a birthday party.


	44. Adieu

"Zuko, _please_…"

He stopped in his tracks, glancing behind him only briefly to examine the woman calling after him. Pin-straight ebony hair, so much like his, gray, almond-shaped eyes, lithe frame, and a heartbreaking look of abandonment in her eyes.  
He slapped himself mentally for having looked back, for having allowed himself the chance to let doubt control his actions. He had half a mind to run back and take her into his arms, kiss her and make her as happy as he let her believe she made him.

But as he turned back to the ship and the waterbender awaiting him, all doubt left him mind in a nanosecond. He took her outstretched hand firmly and waved at Mai one last time.

_A business trip, nothing else…_

_Will you still love me when you come back?_

…_  
Of course… nothing could ever make me stop loving you…_

As he loaded his things onto the deck, smiled at Katara, and waved once again, he knew that she knew. She knew that there was one thing that could make him stop loving her.

And she was on that ship.


	45. Not What I Heard

"I hear your son is after my daughter."

A glare.

"I heard your daughter is all over my son."

"Father, you're misquoting me."

"Stay out of this, Zuko."

"Listen to your father, boy."

"Dad! You promised you wouldn't do this!! You've never treated Sokka this way!"

"That's because Sokka never gave me this kind of trouble."

"Are you calling my son problematic?"

"Yes."

"Dad!" 

"Katara!"

"Hakoda!"

"Father!"

"Zuko!"

"Ozai!"

"Aang!!"

Katara turned, "Aang, what are you doing here?"

The boy shrugged, "I dunno; it sounded like fun."

"So, sir, may I please date your daughter?"

"Zuko, do not beg this peasant for access to his daughter."

"What did you call my daughter?"

"Dad!"


	46. Customs And Frisking

"Hey, buddy! Watch it!"

"Sir, please take a seat. Your friend will be out in a second."

"I will take a seat when that creep stops running his creepy little creep hands over her!"

"Mr… Agni. Please wait for your friend over by the gate. She will join you momentarily."

"Hey! _Hey!_ Stop that! Only I can do that!"

Katara leaned over to an officer and whispered something in his ear, he nodded, and handed her his earpiece and microphone. Katara pointed to a guard a couple of feet from him and mimicked a phone with her hands. He nodded and asked the man for his earpiece. His girlfriend's voice rasped over the radio.

"Tara? Are you okay? Should I come get you? Are you being raped?"

Katara's face looked as if she wasn't quite sure whether or not she should laugh at his comment,

"_First of all, Zuko, if I were getting raped, you would be able to see it. Am I still innocent-looking to you?"_

"Yes,"

"_Good. Now listen. You go over to the gate, sit down, and wait for me. If I even suspect you're giving these nice airplane people any trouble, you'll be spending your nights on the couch for two weeks, are we clear?"_

"Crystal."


	47. Eenie, Meenie, Minie, Moe

"Eenie, meenie, minie, moe. Catch a tiger by the toe, if he hollers, let him go. Eenie, meenie, minie, moe."

Her finger stopped.

"Ugh! Zuko, we're getting the peanut butter and chocolate ice cream."

Her boyfriend frowned, "But you hate peanut butter."

"I did 'Eenie meenie minie moe' and my finger landed on the peanut butter, so we're getting peanut butter."

"I don't get it."

"It's fate, Zuko. The Gods wanted me to eat peanut butter today, that's why my finger landed on it."

He grabbed her shoulders, "Katara, listen to me. This fortune stuff is pure bullshit, okay? If you want to eat Cookies N' Cream, go ahead. Screw the Gods."

She gasped, "Ah! We'd better get two peanut butter ones to make it up to them!"

He slapped his face, "Dear Agni…"


	48. Let it Snow

"Katara, look!"

I stirred and mumbled, "What is it, hon?"

"You have to come look!" I heard his footsteps running towards our bed and he shook me softly, "It's amazing…"

I groaned and shook my head, taking his hand and pulling him down on the covers, "Go back to sleep, hon, please?"

He sighed and lifted the covers off of me, hooked his arms around my knees, and picked me up, laughing as I shrieked. He carried me all the way downstairs and out the door onto the deck, lowering me down on the wooden floor on my bare feet.

I screamed and jumped on Zuko, wrapping my legs around his waist as he supported my lower back.

"You brought me out here, at five o'clock in the morning to freeze my ass off?" I growled at him as I buried my face in the crook of his neck.

"Look, Tara," he said softly, stroking my hair, "It's snowing."

"So?" I said, folding my hands in the opening of his fleece pajamas. His body heated at my request, and small flames appeared all around us. The snow hissed at the fire, and I moaned at the heat.

"I've never seen snow before," he said, nudging my legs down. I slid down along his body and wound my arms around his waist. He chuckled and pulled me closer, placing a chaste kiss in my hair.

"Well, now you have," I whined, "Can we go back in now?"

He pulled away slightly and lowered his mouth to mine. I kissed him back sleepily, my hands moving up his chest and towards his neck. His lips moved down to my jaw, my neck, my collarbone, and he lifted his head with a smile.

"Five more minutes, babe."

I licked my lips, "Okay."


	49. As One

"Let's see what you've got, wench."

_Just ignore the comments, keep your head held high and remember: You're better than the lot of them._

"What's the matter? Not brave enough to fight now?" a sneer, "Or did our dear Fire Lord drain your energy last night?"

_He's got no right to that comment…_

"I knew it; you're nothing more than an extravagant whore to him."

A low growl escaped her and the nobleman stepped back unsurely, drawing a small sword he kept at his side for times just like these. The look in the waterbender's eyes (their future _Fire Lady_, he tried to tell himself) was absolutely murderous, and the water that was now collecting at the base of her hands had never looked so dangerous.

"My Lady, I meant nothing by it, I swear, I-"

"Save your comments, nobleman Yin."

Both woman and man turned to face the intruder, coming face-to-face (or in Katara's case, face-to-chest) with Fire Lord Zuko. He, quite unlike his companion, was calm to the point of disturbance, and his hands were not poised for battle as hers were. The crown on his topknot was neatly placed, but only a fool would interpret his serenity as a peace offering.

It was a stand off.

_Get away from her._

_Confirm the rumors for us, my Lord…_

_I could kick his ass any day._

_Lay one finger on her and you're dead._

_The whore will be on the next ship home once the council hears about this…_

"I suggest you return to your chambers, Yin," the Fire Lord rumbled menacingly.  
Nobleman Yin, however, stood his ground indignantly, "My Lord! This, this… _whore_ was disturbing the peace in your Gardens. I was merely trying to appease her."

"_Lady_ Katara has every right, unlike you, to wander about the Royal portion as well as any other portion of the palace, freely."

Nobleman Yin raised an eyebrow.

"She, unlike you, has earned it."


	50. Skittles

"Zuko, we should've turned left a mile ago."

He sighed, "No, Katara, the turn's up ahead."

She shoved the map in his face, "See? We passed this gas station an hour ago. Just behind the little gas station is the turn."

He took her hand and kissed her palm, "Baby, our turn's right next to the pink dot right there. We're about three miles from it."

"This one?" she frowned and yanked her hand from his grasp, "Zuko, that's a Skittle."

**A/N: Just for the record, I don't own Skittles. I mean, I have a bag, I just don't own the entire... never mind...**


	51. Temptation

"What's wrong with her?"

Aang's eyes softened, "She's upset, Zuko. She just discovered a whole new side to her bending."

"What do you mean?" the firebender asked, risking a glance towards the weeping waterbender down by the lake.

Aang shook his head, "Zuko, Katara's a bloodbender."

"A what, now?"

"She can control the blood flow in any living thing's body, as well as the water in plants, to favor her in battle."

Zuko frowned, "Non-dictionary definition, please."

Aang sighed, "She can manipulate people. Like a puppet-master."

"That must be quite the advantage in battle."

Toph shook her head, "Sweetness is torn apart by it."

"I don't understand."

"You wouldn't, Sparky. See, you've always known your element could destroy at your command; Katara just found out hers can do the same thing, and she's not happy about it."

Zuko closed his eyes and shook his own head, "She would never intentionally hurt anyone without a reason."

Toph's mouth curved into a twisted smile, "She doesn't want the temptation."


	52. Marshmallows

"ZUKO!!"

A sigh, "What is it, Katara?"

"HELP ME!!"

He stood from the couch and his Christmas special, walking to the kitchen with a sluggish step. He could smell sugar burning, but expected nothing more than a couple of syrup pitchers or two forks with roasted marshmallows on them.  
Katara had left his side by the couch to fetch some hot chocolate, but with the kind of ingredients that could be found in the Agni kitchen, it was no surprise she had taken more than twenty minutes.

"Babe, what's taking you so long?"

He stepped in the kitchen and slipped on something gooey, falling flat on his butt and sliding a couple of feet into the room. He looked up to see Katara covered in melted marshmallow, her hair stuck in clumps and her clothes completely ruined. She was licking some off her lower lip, then smiled at him in a guilty way.

"What did you do?" he gasped.  
She shrugged, "I heated them in the oven," she gestured to the appliance, which was filled to the brim with marshmallow goo, "I wanted to mix it into the hot cocoa."

"Babe," he sighed, "You're not supposed to heat marshmallows in the oven."

She crossed her arms, "Well no one told me that!"


	53. Liar Liar

"I don't believe you."

He approached me carefully, reaching for my shoulders, "Tara, it's true." 

I slapped his hand away, "Then say it with a straight face."

He sighed and took a deep breath, "I love you."

"No! You blinked! You're lying!"

He slapped his own face in despair, wondering whether the entire ordeal was actually worth going through. He nodded once.

Yes, it was worth it.


	54. Duck and Run

_To this world I'm unimportant,  
Just because I have nothing to give,_

"That's not true," she whispers into his hair as his tears soak through her nightgown.

He says nothing, but his hands tightening into fists around her waist is enough of an answer. His throat has been scratched sore from the sobs that have been ripping through his chest for what seemed like an eternity, and his head trembled against her breast.

"They don't want me, Katara," his voice, broken and wavering, stabs her heart, "That much is clear."  
"But it's not because you're worthless," she insists with a soft velvet voice.

_So you call this your free country?  
Tell me why it cost so much to live,_

"I see no other reason," he murmurs against her skin.

He had been the one to seek her comfort, knocking on her door in the dead of night after months of acting in front of the rest of them. He had restrained the tears in his eyes long enough for them to find a desolated part of the temple, her feet dangling off the precipice while his were bent on her lap. She cradled him like a mother does her child, and the heat of the embrace seemed to emanate from her this time.

Her hands stroke his hair with deep, even caresses, her fingers winding through the strands of inky tresses with an ease she never shows in front of anyone else. He's her own personal adrenaline rush.

_All my work and endless measures never seem to get me very far,  
Walk a mile just to move an inch, now,_

_Even though I'm trying so damn hard…_

"I see one," she taunts, resting her cheek on his head, "They're insanely uncomfortable with you, Zuko."

"That, my dear Tara, makes absolutely no sense," it isn't the words that scare her, it's the fact that he seems to believe in them.

"Face it," she continues, "You're strong, handsome, confident, patient, dedicated, shall I go on?"

She feels his lips curve upward on her skin and it forces out a smile of her own.

"I can think of another reason," he says, all traces of grief gone from his voice.  
"And what's that?" she asks.

"I have you."

_This world can turn me down, but I won't turn away,  
And I won't duck and run, 'cause I'm not built that way…_


	55. What She Wants

"Happy Birthday."

She squealed with delight, hugging her boyfriend within an inch of his life.

"Zuko, how did you get me a Ferrero Rocher pyramid the size of my living room?"

He shrugged, "I know a guy."

She kissed him, "Does this mean we can go to the Warped Tour?"

He shook his head and nudged her towards the chocolate mountain, "Katara, there is no way I'm taking you to a stadium filled with stoned emo kids moshing and trying to kill each other."

She whined, "But Zuko! It's going to be the single hottest concert of the year! And most of them are just wasted, not stoned."

"You can't afford the tickets, your dad will never pay for them, and I'm not buying you tickets to a massacre; what do you plan on doing about it?"

She stalked to the chocolates and grabbed one, idly twirling it between her fingers.

"I plan on eating every single one of these chocolates as seductively as I can until you change your mind."

**A/N: Just to avoid unwanted lawsuits, I don't own Warped Tour or Ferrero Rocher chocolates, no matter how nuttily delicious they are.**


	56. Di Quoi?

"This is great, just perfect!! Leave it to Sokka to leave me alone, in Cancún, at ten o'clock, with no phone!!!"

I viciously kicked the beach sand for effect, and ignored the stuffy European tourists who glared at me as if I'd just ripped their towel out from under them. There were four of them, but what caught my attention was that only three were busy looking annoyed at me. There were the parents, who looked offended, the youngest girl, about my age, give or take, and the boy (_definitely_ older than me.)

The boy stood, brushing the sand from his arms and bare chest and began to walk towards me. The parents began speaking to him in what I could assume to be French.

Very _angry_ French.

"_C'est inadmissible!! Zuko, reviens ici!_"

"_Zuko, elle est une paysanne! C'est interdit du parler avec leur genre!_"

The boy, Zuko, turned to them and hissed, "_Elle est perdu! Elle a besoin du mon aide!!_"

The girl smirked in a way I'd never seen before and stage whispered, "_Faible_"

Zuko approached me anyway and held out his hand, "My name is Zuko," his accent was perceptible, but not thick, "Are you in need of assistance?"

I shook his hand and said, "I'm Katara; Yes, um… won't your family be upset, though?"

In my opinion, 'upset' was an understatement, "Who cares what they think?" was his answer.

"Thank you, um… I need to get to the Hotel Gran Melia, do you know where that is?" I asked, not paying careful attention to the way he was inching us away from his companions, "My brother was supposed to pick me up, but he got caught up with this chick and they went off to the clubs, which I can't get into because I'm underage, so basically he left me stuck here, on the beach when he knows that I have no sense of direction, so I decided to wait for him, but obviously he's not coming, so…"

He smiled, "You talk much, don't you?"

**A/N: Translations? Just say the word.**


	57. Kumquat Shmumquat

"What is it?"

"This, my dear prince, is a kumquat."

"Funny…"

"What?"

"I thought it'd be more purple than orange."

"Why would you think that?"

"Because, 'kumquat' sounds like a purple fruit."

"It does not! It sounds perfectly orange to me."

"Katara, you're mentally color-blind. 'Kumquat' sounds so purple it makes 'grape' sound blue."

"Zuko, that made no sense."

"My point is this fruit should not be orange!"

"Do you want me to paint the world's kumquat supply purple?"

"No, just give it a name that doesn't mislead people into thinking the damn thing is purple when it's not!"

"That would just throw the world into unnecessary confusion."

"They'd get used to it."

"Kumquats are orange!"

"They sound purple!"

"Katara, Zuko's right. Kumquats _do_ sound like purple fruit."

"Shut up, Aang."


	58. Surpise!

"Zuko, let me through."

He shook his head and pointed to his car, "Why don't we go out for some ice cream?"

"Because it's the middle of December, now give me my key back."

"December, huh?"

"Yes, Zuko. It comes right in between November and January."

"We should grab a Starbucks then."

"I don't drink coffee."

"Great time to start, don't you think?"

"Zuko, you have three seconds to give me the key to my house before I chop your ass and send it home."

"You can't go in, though!"

"Why not?"

He sighed in defeat and mumbled, "Sokka's throwing you a birthday party."

"AAAAHHH!!! A BIRTHDAY PARTY FOR ME?!?"

He clamped his hand over her mouth, "_Surprise_ birthday party, remember?"

"Oh, right. How's this for a surprised face?"

"You look like you just had a stroke."

"A stroke of _surprise_!"

"Honey, just smile and thank them."

….

"And leave the jokes to your brother."


	59. Happy Pill

"Come on, Katara," Zuko yelled, "We're going to be late!"

I raced down the stairs, trying to secure an earring in place with one hand and strap my shoe on with the other, "Relax, Zuko, it's not like we _want_ to hear the principal's speech about how we've grown."

He growled quite audibly, "We need to leave. _Now_."

I clicked my tongue and put my hands on my hips, "Zuko, did you forget to take your happy pill this morning?"


	60. High

On certain occasions, Zuko found it in himself to agree with the Avatar. Especially when he talked about running.

"_It's the best high there is."_

"_It's like, if you just keep moving, nothing can touch you."_

But now, as Katara's lips moved against his and his hands traced her face, he realized he was wrong. Having Katara was a rush all on its own.

It was his definition of a high.

**A/N: Yes, I did borrow the quotes from the 'Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants' movie, where Bridget is talking to Eric. I don't own the movie, or the books, which I'm ashamed to say I haven't read.**


	61. Minoranges

**A/N: Okay, this is a little sequel that I thought up with the help of Courage Sun (Kailabelle!!) and it's a continuation of "Kumquat Shmumquat"**

**Cause I got all sorts of responses to that one.**

**The main colors inspired by kumquats are:**

**Purple (DUH!!!)**

**Orange (Nah…)**

**Yellow **

**Green**

**Red**

**So apparently all of us think in different colors….**

"Hey, Katara?"

"What?"

"I've got it."

"Got what?" 

"The solution to your stupid orange citrus fruit."

"You mean the kumquat?"

"Shhh!! Don't say that until we fix the name?"

"Oi… Well, it's gonna come sooner or later, I guess. Let me hear it."

"Okay, you know how… the 'K' fruits are citrus?" 

"Yes."

"And they're sort of, kind of like oranges, which are orange?"

"Uh-huh."

"And they're tiny?"

"Hmm."

"Almost mini?" 

"Out with it, Zuko."

"We could call them minoranges!!"

"Mino-whatsits?"

"MIN.ORANGES."

"Oh, gods…"

"Cause they're kind of like mini oranges, and it totally makes sense!!"

"Zuko, you need to stop hunting with Sokka."

"Then all that's left is finding a purple fruit that we can name 'kumquat.'"

"But the world knows kumquats as orange!!"

"Well, too bad for the world!! It can't always get what it wants!!"

….

"Katara, I move that kumquats be renamed 'minoranges'."

"I second the motion!!"

"Aang, get out of here!!"


	62. Masquerade

_Masquerade,   
Paper faces on parade,  
Masquerade,_

That's all it had ever been, really. A game of hide and seek played behind masks and veils; a game of children that had been kicked up to their level.

_Masquerade,  
Every face a different shade,  
Masquerade,_

She had never meant for it to go any further than that, but all of a sudden they were talking instead of punching and breathing instead of bending. His eyes peered curiously at her from his mask and she examined his "face" from behind a veil.  
Symbolic, really.

_Masquerade,  
Run and hide but a face will still pursue you,_

The veil of misunderstanding that almost always tipped the odds of whatever situation they managed to lodge themselves in against them. The veil that prevented him from seeing that her intentions could only be, at this point, sincere and beneficial. That she had never really had a motive to make his life impossible, only to prevent him from making her life and the Avatar's nonexistent.

_Masquerade,  
Ginning yellows, spinning reds,  
Masquerade,  
Take your fill, let the spectacle astound you,_

The veil that made her see him just as twisted as he had appeared to her so many months ago, hidden beneath armor and masked over in hate. Hate and desperation. That had been the profile, so much longer before he had become a real person in her eyes. A person that had been wronged just as much, if not more, than she had by this war. A person with feelings and decisions to make, and a conscience to bear with the outcome of them.

_Masquerade,  
Seething shadows, breathing lies,_

But now, veil gone and paint faded, mask broken and swords discarded, people began to emerge. A girl and a boy. A young woman and a young man. Both alone and both confused, not really knowing why they were fighting other than the fact that they were _supposed _to. A boy who needed company and a girl who needed a willing ear.

Two people who needed each other, now more than ever.

_Masquerade,  
You can fool any friend who ever knew you…_


	63. Mix and Match

"Okay, you two don't even make sense."

"Sure, Zuko, insult the master waterbender and Avatar while they're training on the edge of a waterfall."

"Who the hell designed your clothes?"

"Um… Gran-Gran?"

"…Gyatso?"

"Oi… Well, they're stupid."

"And your face is ugly!"

"Aang!!"

"Like it's not?"

"Ignoring that…. Aren't clothes supposed to reflect _logical_ colors of the nation?"

"Yes, and I'm wearing blue."

"And I'm wearing orange."

"But air isn't orange."

"How do you know?"

"Oi…

……….

"And water isn't blue, it's clear, see through."

"Are you saying you want my sister to wear see-through clothes?"

"No!! No! NO!!!"

"COME BACK HERE, PERVERT!!!" 


	64. Live and Let Die

"We might not have another moment like this."

She bit her lip, "I know that."

His arm tightened on her waist, "Then why?"

She covered his hand with hers, "You know I have to go."

He moved his hand to the back of her neck, tangling his fingers in her hair. She closed her eyes and parted her lips, taking in as much of his scent as she could in one breath. He leaned his face towards hers and kissed her eyelids softly, whispering against her skin.

"No you don't," he murmured, "You can stay with me. You _want_ to stay with me."

"_You_ know I do," she said as his lips neared hers, "But we both know this isn't going to work."

He kissed her upper lip hopefully, lining her lower lip with his tongue, "You're in love with me."

"So are you," she accused weakly, unable to stop her mouth from kissing back, "But we should let this die."

He chuckled, "The old 'live and let die', love?"

He kissed her enthusiastically, "Not a chance."

_Just live and let die…_


	65. Disney Deprived

**Disclaimer: I don't own Disney or Pegasus, no matter how cute he is.**

"What the hell is that?"

She frowned, "What?"

"That _thing_ in your arms."

She gazed at him with skeptic eyes that searched his face.

"Zuko," she began carefully, "This is Pegasus," she held the stuffed animal up, "You know, from _Hercules_?"

He shrugged, "Whatever, Kat," he glanced at his watch, "We should leave soon if we want to make it to our movie."

"Zuko," she probed, "You've never seen _Hercules_?"

He shrugged into his jacket, "I never really fancied Disney."

She gasped sharply and dropped "Pegasus." He turned away from the door to see her running upstairs to her room.  
After a minute of debating on whether or not he should go after her, he sighed, "She'll be back anyway."

And she was, along with every animated movie ever made under Walt Disney's name.

"It's okay," she panted, "We can fix this."


	66. What can you do?

"Well then what are you going to do for me

"Well then what _are_ you going to do for me?"

Zuko smirked at me a kissed me quickly, "That, for one."

I grimaced, "Well you're not gonna get many more of those if you don't carry my books."

He feigned hurt, clutching his chest, "You wound me."  
I glared and shifted the weight on my arms, "Fine, have it your way." I turned to the other side of the hallway, "Aang!!"  
He was at my side in a heartbeat, "What's up, Katara?"  
I batted my eyelashes and brushed my free hand against his arm, "Do you think you could carry my books for me? My arms are getting kind of tired."

He nodded vigorously and practically snapped the books from my hands, "Sure!"  
Zuko growled and ripped the books out of Aang's arms and pushed him aside, "I'll be doing that, boy."  
I smiled and hooked my arm with Zuko's, "Never mind, Aang. Thanks anyway."

As we walked away, I smiled up at Zuko, "See? Maybe next time you won't need prompting.


End file.
